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Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking: A Cookbook Hardcover – January 1, 2012

4.7 out of 5 stars 4,701

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From award-winning, bestselling “queen of Italian cooking” (Chicago Tribune), a culinary bible for anyone looking to master the art of Italian cooking.

Essentials of Italian Cooking is a culinary bible for anyone looking to master the art of Italian cooking, bringing together Marcella Hazan’s most beloved books, The Classic Italian Cook Book and More Classic Italian Cooking, in a single volume. Designed as a basic manual for cooks of all levels of expertise—from beginners to accomplished professionals—it offers both an accessible and comprehensive guide to techniques and ingredients and a collection of the most delicious recipes from the Italian repertoire. As home cooks who have used Marcella’s classic books for years (and whose copies are now splattered and worn) know, there is no one more gifted at teaching us just what we need to know about the taste and texture of a dish and how to achieve it, and there is no one more passionate and inspiring about authentic Italian food.

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Perhaps more than any other person, Marcella Hazan is responsible for bringing Italian cuisine into the homes of American cooks. We're not talking spaghetti and meatballs here--Hazan's cuisine consists of polenta, risotto, squid braised with tomatoes and white wine, sautéed swiss chard with olive oil and garlic.... Twenty years ago, when Hazan first exploded into the American consciousness with The Classic Italian Cook Book and More Classic Italian Cooking, such recipes were revolutionary. With time, however, these classic dishes have become much-beloved family favorites.

Now a new generation is ready to be introduced to Marcella Hazan's way with food, and in Essentials of Italian Cooking Hazan combines her two earlier works into one update and expanded volume. In addition to the delicious collection of recipes, this book serves as a basic manual for cooks of every skill level. Recipes have been revised to reduce fat content, and a whole new chapter full of fundamental information about herbs, spices, and cheeses used in Italian kitchens--as well as details on how to select specific ingredients--has been added. New chapters, new recipes--who could ask for more than Essentials of Italian Cooking?

From Publishers Weekly

In the language of cookbooks, the word "classic" is bandied about nearly as frequently as the terms "low-fat" and "no-cholesterol." In this case, however, the estimable Hazan ( More Classic Italian Cooking ) does indeed contribute a classic to the ever-increasing literature of Italian cuisine. A revision and update of her two previous "classic" Italian cookbooks (with more than 35 completely new recipes), this one includes recipes not "in pursuit of novelty, but of taste." As Hazan puts it, the book "is meant to be used as a kitchen handbook . . . for cooks of every level . . . who want an accessible and comprehensive guide to the products, the techniques, and the dishes that constitute imperishable Italian cooking." From marinated carrot sticks to sweet-and-sour tuna steaks, Trapani style, to tortellini with fish stuffing and polenta shortcake with raisins, dried figs and pine nuts, the outstanding recipes--many of them poetically simple--are too numerous to do justice to in few words. Included is a spirited discussion of squid and the essentials of preparing fresh pasta, gnocchi (potato dumplings), authentic risotto, frittate and polenta dishes. While writing from Venice, her home for much of the year, Hazan never fails to consider the availability of ingredients in the U.S., and never assumes that all readers understand complex methods or exotic terminology. This volume is the perfect gift for a new homemaker, a seasoned chef and all lovers of good food. Illustrated. 40,000 first printing; Home Style Book Club main selection, BOMC alternate.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Alfred A. Knopf; First Edition (January 1, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 704 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 039458404X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0394584041
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.67 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.1 x 1.8 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 out of 5 stars 4,701

About the author

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Marcella Hazan
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Marcella Hazan, the acknowledged godmother of Italian cooking in America, is the author of The Classic Italian Cookbook, More Classic Italian Cooking, Marcella's Italian kitchen, and Essentials of Italian Cooking .She lives in Venice, Italy, and Longboat Key, Florida.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
4,701 global ratings
Probaby THE most essential book on Italian cuisine in the English language
5 Stars
Probaby THE most essential book on Italian cuisine in the English language
Among serious home cooks and many professional chefs, Hazan's book is widely considered to be one of THE essential books on Italian cuisine.All of her recipes are well written, well explained, well organized, and the flavors are well honed and she's obviously been making (and teaching) them over and over again for years ... and as a result, her book has a polished and reliable feel to it. Even if you momentarily lose your way and are faced with a leap of faith on some ingredient or technique, you quickly learn to trust Mrs Hazan's advice and experience, because she earns it the hard way.Her recipes range from the basic and reliable, to the sublime.Classic Risotto ? It's in there.Want to make various types of fresh pasta from scratch ? It's in there.Braised Pork Chops in Browned Sage Butter ? A fabulous recipe. I loved it so much that I went out and bought a $160+ top of the line heavy duty covered saute pan in order to do it proper justice, and to be able to serve 4 people at a time.If you're the sort of foodie who understands and appreciates the differences between "Classic Italian" and "Italian-American" cuisine, and if you cook either at home with any degree of regularity, then this is THE book for you.All glowing praise aside, I do have a few minor nits:1) Although this book represents a welcome giant step beyond mere "Italian American" in the direction of Classic and Authentic Italian, the authoress could have gone still further, but didn't. For instance - there's not nearly as much focus on seafood in this book as there is in Italy. Also, sausage making dealt with fairly minimally, and Offal is barely mentioned at all. For those sort of things, you need to go to a hardcore gourmand chef like Mario Batali. Most mainstream home cooks won't bat an eye missing such things, so I can't really complain too vigorously ... but I adore offal, and I noticed its absence.2) Marcella is most assuredly old school - and you either love or hate that. I happen to love it, but I thought it worth mentioning. Case in point - all pasta in this book is made the old fashioned way ... flour, egg yolks, and rolling pin, and occasionally a dowel or (if you're really a geek) a chitarra. You wont find any mention of taking shortcuts with semolina flour and water, or using food processors or electric rollers/extruders in this book, and if you were to ask her in person she'd probably shake her finger at you in a disapproving fit of apoplexy, while remarking that pasta that's extruded like [...] matter will taste like it too. Ok, I'm exaggerating a bit, but not much. Anyway, hardcore traditionalists love and admire her for her commitment to traditional techniques.Glowingly recommended.
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Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2009
I bought the book after reading the other reviews here at Amazon. I was searching for a book to teach the basics of traditional Italian cooking. What I got was a treasure chest packed with priceless information on "all things" classic Italian cooking. I skimmed through the book when I first got it. I'm in the process of reading it in depth now and have made a couple dishes from the recipes that looked interesting as I read though them. Pasta and bean soup made with home made pasta and cranberry beans. I had never heard of cranberry beans and was prepared to substitute red kidney beans as the recipe suggested but low and behold... Central Market had the real deal in the bulk section so I was able to prepare the dish with dried cranberry beans. I was really happy I found the cranberry beans because they are nothing like kidney beans. They're more like pintos only twice as big. I had never made home made pasta before but Ms. Hazan's instructions were detailed and exact. I was able to turn out a reasonable noodle and further, the experience taught me that I really do need a pasta machine. And, I just bought one here before writing this review.

I digress. Of the handful of dishes I've prepared from the book's recipes, I can say all were rich and flavorful, delicious. My favorite so far has to be the Bolognese meat sauce, which I served with baked rigatoni. Seriously, the Bolognese meat sauce may be the best thing I've ever eaten. Everything I've prepared to date is far superior fare than the typical olive oil drenched, garlic laced American Italian foods I'm used too. I was shocked to find out that Ms. Hazan cooks with butter and vegetable oil much more often than with olive oil. Watching Italian Americans cooking on typical TV cooking shows available here in the USA had me convinced that classic Italian cooking was all about olive oil and garlic. Not so. And, while pasta is up there in my top 10 favorite foods, the breadth and depth of Italian cooking is so much more than spaghetti, lasagna and calamari.

This book will not only provide you with great detailed recipes that generate truly great food, it will teach you skills needed to make classic Italian foods with traditional methods. The writing is clear and directions are easy to follow. Ms. Hazan breaks the most tedious processes down to clearly defined steps. The book is a pleasure to read. It is truly entertaining.
13 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2024
This book is chock full of Italian recipes, both traditional and those with a newer twist. It's a great gift for the chef in your life!
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2024
The high reviews led me to buy this, Im not sure why I haven't had this cookbook for many years. Ive made about 5 recipes so far, and have been so happy with them. A lot of recipes are very simple, just make sure you use good quality ingredients (San Marzano tomatoes) And definitely make the bolognese!
5 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2020
This book is fabulous. I was never interested in italian cooking because so much of it here in the States is pizza and marinara. That's great stuff, but it's not the whole story about Italian cooking. In fact, it may be that pizza and tomato sauce are so good that the rest of Italian cuisine doesn't get the attention it deserves.

This book gives a much richer and varied and wonderful picture of Italian cooking, and does it in a way that respects the entire country of Italy, not just a select region or two.

There's a lot in this book and it's not something to quickly summarize, but here are a couple of key things I learned: 1) Really, really good italian cooking is often so simple that it's absurdly and humorously simple. It doesn't seem like it should work, but it does. Very easy. Few ingredients. Quick. It's a form of magic. 2) Parmesan cheese really is versatile and important. Other hard cheeses like romano and asiago are too. Indispensable. I'm happy with inexpensive domestic varieties, but some are definitely better than others. 3) A greater appreciation of the wide variety of pastas available. And the wonderful dishes that have no pasta in them. 4) Some of the best italian dishes have no tomato in them. 4) How to use things like basil to great effect. 5) Basic techniques. Some of the best lessons about cooking are in the basics of a cuisine.

I'm sure that seems elementary to people who grew up with italian cuisine, but it's all new to me. And it is very well revealed by Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.
10 people found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2024
It’s a classic. There are a lot of recipes here, many of which I am not familiar with. The book is full of recipes but does not have all those good porn photos of today’s coffee table cookbooks. It’s no nonsense and you have to read, not look at photos.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Robert
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfull book , terrible packing by amazon
Reviewed in Mexico on May 5, 2023
The book is Wonderfull, but my book had a lot of damage. For some reason amazon sends books in boxes or plastic bags without any kind of cushion. The book covers all the basics of traditional Italian cuisine really good, is text and some drawings, no pictures of the dishes, but is really good.
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Robert
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfull book , terrible packing by amazon
Reviewed in Mexico on May 5, 2023
The book is Wonderfull, but my book had a lot of damage. For some reason amazon sends books in boxes or plastic bags without any kind of cushion. The book covers all the basics of traditional Italian cuisine really good, is text and some drawings, no pictures of the dishes, but is really good.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente
Reviewed in Brazil on July 24, 2021
Um clássico, ensina com detalhes sem frescura. Explica as origens dos pratos, como devem ser executados. Muito interessante para quem ama culinária, além da simples execução de receitas.
2 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 17, 2023
On,y just arrived but it looks to be the absolute Business on Italian cookery. Good quality book, big and heavy, nice paper, clear print big enough to read easily . Nice line drawings, no unnecessary glossy photos of vegetables or markets. This book assumes you know a bit about cooking. I can’t wait to get stuck in! It’s going to be my go to cook book.
Yman
5.0 out of 5 stars Doskonałe źródło wiedzy o tradycyjnej włoskiej kuchni
Reviewed in Poland on September 7, 2023
Nic dodać, nic ująć, bardzo fajnie opisana i napisana książka, z masą inspiracji i wiedzy o tradycyjnej włoskiej kuchni.
AM A CUSTOMER
5.0 out of 5 stars Thankyou Marcella for simple Italian dishes to learn.
Reviewed in India on January 18, 2022
I once made a risotto of sea food following instructions from the Arborio rice packet. The method for simple risotto by Marcella is the same. Though some rich ingredients used by me made the dish be appreciated by all though I felt it a bit sticky.